Axle



D. H. DAvls Oct. 11', 193s.

AXLE

Filed April 23. 1956 Zi: www.

Patented Oct. 11, 1938 rnresrorricr AXLE i Durrel Hl Davis,v Augusta, Kans., assigner to Spencer consisting of Fred G.

. Spencer, Augusta, Kans.

Trailer Company, a cri-partnership Spencer and Bertha Application April 23, 1936, Serial No. y'75,973

4 Claims. (Cl. 301-124) This invention relates to axles and, without limitationjhe'reto', it has more particularly to do with automobile trailer and like Vehicle axles.

A The main object of the invention is Yto obtain strength with minimum weight throughout and a substantial reduction in deiiection at the center of the axle."

. Animportant object is to secure a true bea-In effect in i an axle by increasing the vertical strength thereof starting back of the spindle portion and continuing to the center of the axle and increasingl the horizontal strength at the pointwhere the maximum strain occurs, and at the same time providing for resistance to torsional strain.

Another object of the invention is to produce a structure wherein there is Yno sudden or abrupt change in any section where stresses might 1o calize and cause breakage.

1 A still further object is to produce an axle structure wherein every cross-section through- As shown, the axle has the usual spindle porout its length between the spindles contains substantially the same area of metal.

A still vfurther object of the invention is to reduce the cost of forging the axle blank through the use of round bar material for the forging, and, at the same time, minimize the flow of the metal `in the forging operation.

A construction designed to carry out the invention will be hereinafter described, together with other features of the invention.

The invention will be more readily understood from a reading of the following speciiication and by reference tothe accompanying drawing, in which an example of the invention is shown, and wherein:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of an axle formed in accordance with the invention;

Figure 2 is a View, on an enlarged scale, and in front elevation, of one-half of the axle structure shown in Figure 1; and

Figures 3 to 8, inclusive, are crossvsections on the correspondingly indicated lines 3-3 to 8 8, inclusive, of Figures 1 and 2.

Referring now to the drawing, the numeral It designates, generally, the axle body as a whole.

tion I2 at its end, and inwardly from each spindle portion I2, a levelled seat portion i3 is provided between the space indicated at I4, I5, as shown in Figure 2.

As shown in Figure 3, the cross-section of the axle in the immediate region inwardly from the spindle portion I2 and substantially on the line 3-3, is elliptical, with the long axis of the' ellipse vertically disposed. The major body portion of the axle between the elliptical portions I6 is of substantially I-shape Vthroughout and at every line of section'the area of the metal is substantially the same, the differences ybeing in the vertical and certain transversedimensions, illustrations of which appear in Figures to 8, inclusive, of the drawing.;

A The cross-section shown` in Figure 8, is taken at the vertical center of the axle from which 10 place the axle tapers in a vertical plane towards its spindle portion I2. However, the width of the bulbed or hanged top and bottom portions I'I may or may not be the same throughout the length of the axle.

The height and width of the body web portion I8 intermediate the top and bottom flanged or bulbed portions Il does vary, as indicated in Figures 4 to 8, inclusive. It may be here noted that the mergence of every cross-section from 20 one to the other throughout the length of the` axle is gradual and without any sudden or abrupt change. This is an important feature of the invention, as it not only gives strength 'to the axle butl enters into the facility with which the 25 process of forging and forming the axle is carried out. It may be here further noted that the cross-sectional form of the axle is not of the ordinary or conventional cross-section of the regular commercial I-beams or angle iron sec- 30 tions, but the cross-sectional form of the axle .is,` in eiect, a modification of the ordinary or conventional I-section and the peculiar crossv section illustrated in the drawing is utilized to facilitate forging or forming the axle from round 35 fbar stock. So, too, in forming the particular vbe here repeated that the only appreciable difference in dimension is in the web portion I8 of the axle,` it being borne in mind, however, that the cross-sectional area of the metal is substan- 50 tially the same at every point throughout the length of the axle, that is to say, at every point between the spindle portions I2, which latter, of course, are usually tapered towards their 0111291' ends. 55

and construction shown in the accompanying. drawing, as the general broad object of the nvention is mainly to design an axle so as to provide the greatest amount of strength possible at each point thereof to resist the bending tend-A ency of the axle due to the load or forces to which it is subjected; or, in other words, the axle is designed and ideally shaped in keeping with the bending moment diagram for the vertical, horizontal and torsional loads.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

l. An axle, the major body portion of which is of substantially I-shape in cross-section and varying in vertical and transverse dimensions, but being of the same area at every line of crosssection, the Webbed body portion being formed by roundingly channeling the axle on opposite sides and merging with flanged top and bottom portions having faces sloping on opposite sides of median longitudinal lines, and the portions of different cross-sectional contour and dimenn sions merging with each other without sudden or abrupt change.

2. An axle comprising an elongate integral body, longitudinally channeled and of substantially the same cross-sectional area at every point throughout its length, the web portionof the body varying in vertical and horizontal dimensions at every point and having surface contour mergence without sudden or abrupt change throughout the extent thereof.

3. An axle comprising an elongate integral body, longitudinally channeled on opposite sides and of substantially the same cross-sectional area at every point throughout its length, the web portion of the body 'varying progressively in vertical and transverse dimensions through- Y out its extent and having surface contour mergence without sudden or abrupt change.

4. An axle comprising an elongate integral body of substantially the same cross-sectional area throughout the major portion of its length and being longitudinally channeled arcuately on opposite sides, the web portion of the body being of maximum rvertical width dimension at the middle of 'the axle and it diminishing progres sively and symmetrically in such dimension towards each end, the transverse thickness dimension of the web being minimum at the middle of the axle and such dimension increasing towards the ends of the axle proportionately to the decrease in vertical Width dimension, and the web surfaces having mergence without sudden er abrupt thereof.

DURREL H. DAVIS.

change throughout the extent 

